Imperfect Consequences

by Piper Stone

  “It’s not exactly what happened as what might happen.”

  “And?” Shannon started walking toward the bank of elevators. It was going to be good to get home, take her shoes off and relax, have a glass of wine or three, and plan for the trip. Wendy was right about getting away. No one needed to know the exact reason why. As she slapped the elevator button to go to the parking deck, she could hear a rather strangled sound coming from Wendy’s mouth. “Spill it.”

  “I was asked to retrieve you.”

  “Makes me sound like a bad child. By whom?” Shannon checked her watch. She could still manage to grab a few things to make a nice dinner, including a bottle of wine.

  “The Board of Directors.”

  “Very funny. I’m done with all association related business for a little while, thank you very much.”

  Wendy coughed. “Not that Board of Directors.”

  “Great, there’s another association that requires my attention now? As in right now?” Stepping into the elevator, she realized how exhausted she was.

  Wendy slapped her hand on the door and shook her head. “Our Board of Directors.”

  Just about five seconds later, Shannon figured out what Wendy was saying. Nodding, she stepped out of the elevator. “I guess we’re going up.”

  Wendy patted her on the back and moved into the elevator as Shannon walked out. “I get to go home, girl. Only you’re the one who has to face them.”

  “Great. Just great.” As Wendy wrinkled her nose and waved, Shannon developed a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She watched, almost as if in slow motion, as the doors closed. She’d never felt so alone in her entire life. A shiver raced down her back, then shifted back up. Suddenly, she had the discernable feeling she was getting fired.

  Easing against the warm marble wall, she sighed and hugged her briefcase to her chest. Her marriage was in trouble, her ex-husband probably on the warpath, and now she was going to get fired. It was a great day to be alive. You can do this. You can. The infamous mantra. Shannon chuckled and completed a series of breathing exercises. Then she walked back to the elevator and pressed the up button. Facing the music wasn’t something she was good at, but given her horrid attitude as of late, perhaps she needed more than one kick in the ass. Shannon sucked up the last of her pride and walked into the elevator. Wine, dinner, all sense of relaxation was going to have to wait. Tonight, she had to figure out if she even wanted her job. The thought made her snort. All she’d ever wanted to do was be an attorney, since the time she was a kid.

  For some reason, the elevator ride seemed particularly long. She found herself fidgeting with each ‘bing’ of floors, the opening and closing as others came and went, all the way to the top floor—the corporate offices. Shannon was all alone by the time the elevator stopped. Her nerves were screaming the moment she walked out and down the rather long hallway to the banks of floor to ceiling double doors. With every step, she became more apprehensive.

  Shannon glanced up at the oversized clock, strategically located behind the receptionist, who was just about ready to go into overtime. The case had taken all day, but at least she had all day Friday to finish up details before her trip. She hadn’t seen the lovely auburn-haired girl before. Perhaps another new employee. From what she’d heard, the other Board members were terrors to work with. A sudden flash of a screaming man, beady eyed with fangs and horns, juxtaposed over slaves chained to a wall. Was this the way she really saw the company she worked for?

  Were all the members of the Board of Directors in the same city because of her? Shit. Shit. Shit. Sighing, she moved in front of the receptionist and had to clear her throat before the girl looked up.

  “I’m sorry, but our offices are getting ready to close.” The girl’s voice was as pinched as the look on her face.

  “I’m Shannon Parker, an attorney with this firm. I believe I’m expected,” Shannon stated. You bet her bitchy side was coming out. Shannon was one of four women who were attorneys in any capacity. At times, the understanding simply pissed her off, but she was reminded on a fairly regular basis this was an old boy’s school kind of town. And the last she checked, she didn’t have balls large enough.

  Pinched girl’s eyes opened wide and a blush crossed her face as she stood. The smile was plastic, but huge. “I am sorry, Ms. Parker. Of course, Ms. Parker.”

  Oh, Shannon was so screwed.

  “Right this way, Ms. Parker. I know your work, Ms. Parker and you have been so good. So good.”

  Have been. That confirmed it. She was so getting fired. And if the girl said her name one more time, she was going to lash out uncontrollably. “Thank you. How long have you worked here?” Making pleasant conversation with the vixen in disguise seemed like the right thing to do. Especially since she was taking the long walk of death. The girl knew what was happening and was more than prepared to take advantage of the situation. Shannon knew all about backstabbing behavior. She’d had enough of the concept to last her forever.

  “Almost forty days,” the vixen quipped.

  Shannon blinked and sucked in her breath. The words were said much like marking off time in jail. Were the elderly men in blue suits really that bad? She knew two of the Board members, one being her boss. The other was a man she tried to avoid at all costs. The single moment she would always regret remained buried in the back of her mind. One horrible Christmas party and a single heated moment shared with a man she barely knew. That was before he became a man in a heightened position, as well as before David, but she was still embarrassed nevertheless. Hmm… Thank God, they didn’t cross paths much, if ever, given he ran the Chicago office with an iron fist. Being fired by a man she’d slept with didn’t bode well with her.

  “I hear the Board members are all in a foul mood today.”

  “Do you like it here?” Shannon asked casually. Thoughts about the huge Christmas gala floated into the back of her mind. Being bent over the man’s desk and fucked hard from behind wasn’t her finest day. Shivering, she blinked several times and pushed back the memory. At least the man had never mentioned the incident to her again. They were both pretty intoxicated. Maybe he didn’t remember.

  The girl shot her a look over her shoulder. “Well, it does suit the inner barracuda. I’m going to be Vice President of the Board within five years. Mark my words.”

  The line had been drawn in the sand. Shannon resisted wrapping her hand around the girl’s silky hair and slamming her head against the wall until blood ran down. Okay, maybe she was much more territorial about her position than she realized. Maybe Shannon really liked working here. And maybe she was ready to fight for her job. Yeah. Maybe… You can do this. You can convince them you can indeed get your head out of your ass. “Well, we’ll see about that.”

  Smirking, the girl stopped in front of the massive mahogany doors. “I always get what I want. Period.”

  “And I love a challenge. Obviously so. And you know what? I never lose.” Shannon pushed past the brazen hussy and opened the door to the conference room. The three men seemed much more formidable than the glossy brochure. She knew her boss, the dashing Mr. Rick Sampson well enough, although they certainly didn’t run in the same circles of society. She’d long since known he was from a Blue Blood family. Thankfully, he carried no pretense about him. “Gentlemen.”

  The girl walked around her, giving Shannon a curt nod. “Will there be anything else?”

  “No, Mindy. You can leave us now. Go ahead and lock the front door. We’re going to be a little while.”

  The powerful voice nearly rumbled in the room. Shannon knew this was the man who started the business. Those who knew him well called him ‘Mr. A’. She called him Mr. Wallace Albright. She held her head high and tried to appear as if she was in total control, when instead, she was shaking in her twenty-dollar high heels. Suddenly self-conscious, she hadn’t realized she’d placed both hands on her hips until the third attorney’s eyes twinkled. Jameson Cooke was much younger than the others. He’
d risen to the top quickly in a fast-paced market that sometimes fed attorneys to the gators. Gorgeous and dazzling in the courtroom, he was considered ruthless, both in and out of his office. He was their magnet to drawing in the high dollar clients. Jameson was also a notorious ladies’ man.

  The look on his face was straight forward and showed no memory of their brief affair. Of course, she was nothing more than a notch. Shannon nodded curtly and looked toward her boss.

  “Thank you, sir.” Mindy turned and before she left, sneered, the whisper offered with a certain level of malice. “Good luck. My guess is you’re going to need it.”

  Fortunately, Shannon didn’t waiver in her facial expressions until after Mindy walked out, closing the door with an exaggerated thud. Her entire being seemed to sag in front of the men who held her future in the palm of their hands. What in the world was she supposed to say? There was a bit of an awkward silence until Rick moved around the table toward her, holding out his hand. She admired her boss. He was kind, as well as extremely professional.

  “I hear you nailed the Timsberry case. Bravo,” Rick said as he placed his other hand on top of hers.

  The shake was different than normal, making Shannon a hell of a lot more nervous. “I just tossed in a thought and the judge didn’t fight me. I think I was lucky.”

  “Nonsense. You’re a damn good attorney,” Rick stated, then patted her hand. He moved back toward the table, giving the two men a nod. “You’ve been handling a lot of cases lately, hard work I know. All of us realize how much you’ve done for the firm, how much you’ve sacrificed in regard to your personal life.”

  The hammer was so going to fall. Even the faces of the other two gave it away. At one point, she was up for the same position as Jameson. Then the old boy’s network had pushed him to stardom while she remained firmly rooted in courtroom battles. Jameson wasn’t quite smirking, but the look was damn close. Talk about not being able to hold the stoic look. Great. What was this going to entail? Shannon decided to face the dismissal with grace. She took a long stride forward and placed her hands on the conference room table. “I realize I’ve been a bit disjointed lately, gentlemen. For that, I do apologize, but sometimes real life can interfere.” The almost dead silence in the room was enough to drive her over the edge. She was actually sweating at this point. Keep your cool. Don’t run from the room. Yep. That was going to work. For at least a full minute, the three men looked back and forth between themselves. Great. This was way too much grandstanding for her.

  “Mrs. Parker. Why don’t you come and sit down over here?” Mr. Albright patted the leather back chair closest to him.

  Shannon swallowed and nodded once before moving around the side of the table. She eased down into the chair, cognizant of the fact her skirt was already riding up on her thighs. She refused to struggle and yank the material down.

  “You truly understand the law,” Rick said from behind her.

  “Yes, I have to admit, for all my faults, I do know the law cold.” Shannon shot him a quick glance.

  “And what do you believe to be your faults?” Mr. Albright asked as he moved toward a glass bar nestled in the corner of the room.

  Where in the world was she supposed to begin? “I’m impatient, impetuous, refuse to take no for an answer. I can be a pain in the ass, mouthy and I have to get my way. I think that’s probably what you’re looking for.”

  Rick grinned, then ate the expression before walking toward Mr. Albright. “That’s very true. You can be a bit of a pain in the ass at times.”

  “But we don’t see those qualities as a detriment,” Jameson added. “In fact, I believe you can fully embrace the need for having an assertive take charge attitude. Can’t you?”

  “Well, some clients do,” Shannon admitted. The way Jameson was looking at her held no memory of their hard fucking. Man, the guy was good looking. He exuded sensuality, even in the way he dressed. Swallowing hard, she pressed her hand over her mouth. The nervous tic was firmly planted on her lips. When another awkward silence happened, she simply wanted to vomit.

  “Drink, Mrs. Parker?” Mr. Albright asked without looking at her.

  Okay, ply her with drinks then fire her. Good move. Oh, what the hell. “I’d love one, in fact.” She noticed the powerful man didn’t ask what she’d like, nor did she think he was going to. He simply plopped ice in a glass and poured a liquid she couldn’t see from where she was sitting. Right now, anything would help calm her nerves.

  Jameson sat on the edge of the table. “I need to ask you a question.”

  “Shoot.” Here it comes. Here it comes. Shannon tilted her head. There was something very interesting about Jameson and not just because of the way he was looking at her. She managed to keep her cool, even though sweat was beading on the back of her neck.

  Mr. Albright walked toward her, handing her a glass. “I’m certain you are wondering why we called you here.”

  Hell, fucking yes. “I assume it’s because I’ve been a bit off lately,” Shannon said and the weakness in her voice was ridiculous. This wasn’t her. She studied the liquid in her glass, anything to keep her cool.

  “Very true,” Rick said as he walked toward the bar.

  She fiddled with the glass and sighed. Whatever she was going to drink certainly wouldn’t be enough. Not for losing her job. “I know.”

  Mr. Albright took a sip of his drink. “The truth is there are a lot of people who have no need for women who hold an edge in what they do and how they present themselves.”

  Tell her something she didn’t know. “Yes, sir.”

  He took another swig, then twisted his glass as he swallowed. “That’s not the case with this firm.”

  Now he had her attention. “Meaning, sir?” This time Shannon took a gulp. The smooth cognac was no doubt high dollar. Even the aroma screamed money.

  “You think we’re going to criticize you, don’t you?” Jameson asked, his eyes twinkling.

  “She does. I know her too well,” Rick stated.

  “Is that true, Mrs. Parker?” Mr. Albright asked.

  “You can call me Shannon and in truth, I know I’m here to be fired.” She said the words and for some reason, felt a hell of a lot better.

  “Fired? Interesting.” Jameson shook his head. “You’re very tenacious and ballsy. I truly adore that about you.”

  Ballsy. Yeah, well, right now she was ready to hurl all over the floor.

  Jameson leaned closer. “I think we need to tell her.”

  “You mean drop the bomb?” Rick added.

  Shannon could only concentrate on the drink in her hand. She was supposed to nurse cognac. Instead, she realized she was sucking the gorgeous chestnut liquid down. A wafting scent of Jameson’s cologne was much more intoxicating than the liquor.

  “Yes, I suppose we need to work out the details before she goes away on vacation,” Rick said. He turned and moved closer, offering Jameson a glass.

  Tell me. Just tell me. “Details?” What were they talking about?

  “Yes, details. The bane of our existence at times.” Mr. Albright sat across from her. The plush leather chair seemed to suit him.

  Shannon shifted back and forth on her seat. The sweat was now rolling down the back of her neck.

  “Mr. Cooke?” Mr. Albright simply stated. His eyes were locked on her.

  “I love having all the fun. Shannon, we value your expertise here, very much so. You’ve single handedly brought a level of professionalism to association law that we didn’t expect could happen.” Jameson grinned and leaned forward. “You’re also a hard worker, your skills valued in the marketplace and we need to utilize your attributes on several levels. We’re convinced you’re going to help our firm continue to grow.”

  “Thank you.” Jameson seemed genuine. She was very surprised.

  “But we need more,” he added.

  “Of course,” Shannon said nervously. This she certainly hadn’t expected.

  Jameson looked at Rick before continui
ng. “As you’ve probably read in the company newsletter, we’ve been expanding into other markets. We have a strategic five-year plan established and we’re starting a branch in Miami. As you well know, association law is off the chain down there. We need someone to hit the ground running.”

  “Running, sir?” Somehow, echoes were bouncing in her ears.

  “Yes, running hard. Miami is a tough market. Tough as nails and we have to have a tenacious leader.” Mr. Albright gave her a nod. “We’re moving in other directions. We’re trying to take this firm into the future in ways we’ve never attempted before. Every one of our team must be focused. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “Of course.” Shannon smiled, but there was no longer any doubt this was the ceremonial kiss off. Slowly, she stood and brushed her hands down her skirt. “Gentlemen, I don’t mean to be rude, but if you’re going to fire me, I would just like to know now.” When the three men looked between themselves, she knew. “I’ll just be going.”

  “You honestly think that, don’t you?” Rick asked.

  “Yeah, I get it. I know I’ve been off-center and I do understand,” Shannon said as she inched away from the table. “I’ll just be going and…”

  “Shannon,” Mr. Albright interrupted as he wrapped his hand around her forearm. “We’re not firing you. In fact, we want more from you.”

  “More?” Shannon kept her eyes locked on the man who’d never uttered her first name.

  “More,” Rick repeated, a smile brimming on his face.

  “One tough lady.” Patting her shoulder, Mr. Albright gave her a fatherly look. “You’re exactly what we need to take us into the future. The sky is the limit, young lady.”

  “We want to offer you the position of Senior Vice President and a transfer to Miami, where you’ll lead our growing team. You’ll also serve on the Board of Directors.” Jameson grinned. “At a significant salary increase, I might add.”

  “Move to Miami?” Wait a minute. They were serious. Shannon brushed her hand over her mouth. “When? I mean, I’m sure this is going to take a while to get started. Are we talking six months?”